


Carissimori

by gaymingtrash



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Happy Ending, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-22 16:15:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6086326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaymingtrash/pseuds/gaymingtrash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt fill: "things you said that I wasn’t meant to hear"</p>
<p>Dorian lets something slip that he didn't mean to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Carissimori

The first time Dorian and Kaleb found themselves in bed together was a deliberate act of seduction.

The second time was a cautious back-and-forth of “is this definitely-” “and we-” “together-” “for more than fun?” Clumsy and unconfident touches mixed with breathless laughter at every minor mishap - largely relating to some buckle or another of Dorian’s.

The third time was a continued exploration of what was now half familiar, knowing what one touch would do and testing what another might. There was room to pause, to tease and to hold attention, now. Kaleb held Dorian’s gaze a moment before dipping his head to place kisses along the man’s jawline and neck, who let out a sigh of pleasure.

“ _Carissimori_ ,” Dorian breathed, the sounds carelessly tripping off his tongue. Kaleb would have made nothing of it had his lover not stiffened almost imperceptibly moments afterwards. He paused, pulled away a little and lightened his touch, waiting for Dorian to lead the way. Contrary to the hesitation or halt Kaleb expected, he was drawn back in with increased fervour, and he abandoned caution for the time being.

* * *

“Dorian?” Kaleb asked, gently stroking his thumb where his hand lay on the other man’s body. The two were cuddled up together in a gentle half sleep. Dorian made a vague noise of acknowledgement, so Kaleb pressed on.

“Corimi- um, corissimore?” he said, carefully trying to recreate the sounds of an unfamiliar language.

Dorian groaned, and shifted on the bed slightly. “ _Carissimori_. What of it?” Irritation clipped the words, but Kaleb paid it little mind - Dorian was the grumpy kind of tired, it wasn’t anything personal.

“What does it mean?” he asked.

“Some nonsense-word sweet nothing, _amatus_. An utterance of pleasure - nothing more,” Dorian replied. This was as much of an answer as Kaleb would get for now, so he put it from his mind and silently snuggled back into Dorian’s side, letting the two men drift off into an easy sleep.

* * *

“My love,” Kaleb said abruptly, lying beside Dorian the following night. 

“Sorry?” Dorian asked, turning to look at him.

“My, uh, love,” Kaleb repeated firmly, staring determinedly at the bed canopy above him and absently fidgeting with the bedsheets between his fingers. He cleared his throat. “I thought it sounded nice, as an address. Common doesn’t have the same flair as Tevene, I know, but it’s not fair if you hog all the pet names,” he said. “It only sounds wrong for me to say _amatus_ ,” he added with a weak laugh when he was met with silence.

He tore his gaze from the canopy and saw a clear expression of dismay on Dorian’s face. His heart sank. He had done something horribly wrong.

“You weren’t meant to hear me say it,” Dorian said, wounded, and the hurt in his voice only worsened the growing ache in Kaleb’s chest.

“I don’t understand,” Kaleb said, turning on his side to face the man fully. They looked at each other in the silence, as Dorian’s face softened.

“ _Carissimori_ ,” Dorian replied, eventually. “‘My love’, in Common, yes, if you translate it crudely, but - it doesn’t really have an adequate equivalent. It’s more intimate than that, committed. _Amatus_ is close to ‘dearest’, but this is-” he gestured, grasping at the air as if to pluck the words he wanted from it, but he couldn’t find them. He sighed. “I understand why you would ask somebody what it meant - our Tevinter friend in the Chargers, I suppose? - but it was personal to me. I wanted to wait.”

“Dorian,” Kaleb began, before pausing. He reached out and took his lover’s hand, intertwining their fingers. “Dorian,” he repeated, softer than before. “I didn’t ask anybody to translate. I called - _call_ \- you my love, because you are. You are my love.”

“My love,” Dorian said quietly, questioning slightly.

“ _Carissimori_ ,” Kaleb replied sincerely, in his Marcher accent.

Dorian looked for a moment as if he wanted to say something, but he abandoned the thought and made for his lover instead. When Tevene endearments later tumbled from his lips in moments of passion, they only brought the two men closer.

**Author's Note:**

> 50% of the writing process for this was mucking around with Latin and Italian words to find the right word here, just so you know.
> 
> I was thinking of that Cole dialogue about Dorian - "stumbling steps where the wall used to be." They're both feeling their way through this (Kaleb having come from a Circle), and they're both kind of clumsy, and neither wants to ruin it or get hurt. It's all sweetness and good intentions at the heart of it though, so schmoopy fluff all round, by the end!
> 
> If you liked this, or want to chat, or see a lot more Kaleb/Dorian headcanons and silliness, you can find me on tumblr as kalebtrevelyan!


End file.
